Audience: InstructorsA user who is developing, teaching, or facilitating a class. The information and tasks directed at this audience require access to the Control Panel for a course in Blackboard Learn.

Entering Grades

Grades are entered into the Grade Center in a variety of ways. Scores from items that have been added to the content of a course such as online tests, exams, and surveys are automatically entered into the Grade Center. Grades from an external source, such as a Comma-separated Value File or an Excel spreadsheet, are uploaded to the Grade Center, eliminating the need for double entry. Other grades are manually entered into the Grade Center using any of the views of the Grade Center.

Grading Multiple Attempts

If you are grading multiple attempts, the graded item must have been set to allow multiple attempts when it was created. If the option for multiple attempts was selected, the option for grading will appear on the Grade Details page. Grades for all attempts are tracked in the Grade History.

Automatically Entered Grades

Tests that are added to the content of a Course and are scored online, automatically record the grade for that assessment in the corresponding Grade Center column. Grades that are automatically scored can be edited manually.

Instructors can enter grades for certain tools without having to navigate to the Grade Center. Grading can be done within the tool if the item has been set to be graded. Once these grades have been entered, they can be changed in the Grade Center.

Uploading Grades from External Sources

To eliminate repeated entry of Grade Center data in several tools, Instructors can work offline and then upload grades into Grade Center. Instructors can upload grades from external sources such as a Commas-separated Value or an Excel spreadsheet. Data must be formatted specifically to upload correctly and be synched with existing Grade Center data. For in depth information about uploading grades see Uploading or Downloading Grade Center Items for Working Offline.

How to Enter Grades from the Grade Center Page

Grades are entered in any cell in the Grade Center or any Smart View of the Grade Center or from the Grade Detail page.

Click within the cell to be graded.

Type the value.

Press Enter. If Enter is not pressed, and the user attempts to exit the entry cell or Grade Center, a dialog box asks if the user would like to save the grade entry. Select OK to save the grade.

How to Enter Grades Anonymously from the Grade Center Page

Instructors can grade items in the Grade Center without viewing user information. The users will be displayed in a random order, without any identifying information, to the Instructor for grading. Anonymous Grading is helpful to reduce bias from the Instructor or TA when grading. This option is available in the column header contextual menu on the Grade Center page.

From the desired column header click Grade Anonymously.

Type a grade in the text box for each question.

Click Save and Exit to return to the Grade Center page.

-OR-

Click Save and Next to show the next user.

-OR-

Click View Previous to show the previous user.

How to Enter an Attempt Grade from the Grade Details Page

From the contextual menu next to a grade, select View Grade Details.

Click Grade Attempts.

Type a grade in the Grade field.

Click Save and Exit to return to the Grade Center page.

-OR-

Click Save and Next to display the next attempt.

How to Enter an Attempt Grade Anonymously from the Grade Details Page

Instructors can hide user information from the Grade Details Page. Once an attempt has been selected, the Instructor can hide the user information before grading the attempt.

From the contextual menu next to a graded item, click the Attempt link.

Click Hide User Names.

Click OK. This action will open a new attempt with all user identification removed. Any unsaved changes to the current Attempt will be lost.

Type a grade in the Grade field.

Click Save and Exit to return to the Grade Center page.

-OR-

Click Save and Next to display the next user.

-OR-

Click View Previous to show the previous user.

How to Override a Grade from the Grade Details Page

The latest or only Override grade takes precedence over all other grade entries, including grades entered for multiple attempts, and will display in the Grade Center. Any grade entered into the Grade Center for an automatically generated Grade Column, such as an Assessment, Assignment or Discussion Board grade, will be considered an Override grade.

From the contextual menu next to a graded item, click View Grade Details.

Click the Manually Override tab.

Type a new grade in the Override Grade text box.

Add any Feedback to User or Grading Notes. The full features of the Text Editor can be turned on or off to allow Instructors to format text or include files as part of the comment.

Click Save.

Click Return to Grade Center to go back to the Grade Center page.

How to Grade Tests by Question

Instructors can grade all of the responses for a specific question at one time by using the Grade Questions option. This procedure is used for entering new grades or changing grades. Grades can be given anonymously by clicking Hide User Names on the Grade Responses page.

The test remains in Needs Grading status until all of the responses for all of the questions have been graded.

From the contextual menu of the column header, click Grade Questions. The Grade Questions page opens. You can select the option to grade responses anonymously.

Click the number in the Responses column to access the question.

Click Edit next to the score for the user.

Type a new grade in the Score box.

Click Submit.

Click Back to Questions to return to the Grade Questions page to select the next question to grade.